Mr Darcy, half the hunk he used to be: Colin Firth shows off his slender frame at London Fashion Week party

By Sam Creighton, Showbusiness Reporter For The Daily Mail

Published: 20:03 EST, 22 September 2015 | Updated: 03:09 EST, 23 September 2015

From Pride and Prejudice to Bridget Jones, Colin Firth was once the strapping heartthrob of Britain’s upper class.

But the muscular torso that made his name as Mr Darcy seems to have vanished as the actor, 55, has lost a significant amount of weight over recent years.

The Oscar-winner has previously shed pounds for roles including 2013’s The Railway Man, in which he played a prisoner of war, and last year’s Kingsman: The Secret Service, in which he was a spy.

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Actor Colin Firth, 55, has lost a significant amount of weight over recent years with him looking rather svelte at an event in London this week
Firth's dramatic weight loss showcased this week was in stark contrast to his days playing Mr Darcy in 1995's Pride and Prejudice (pictured)

Actor Colin Firth, 55, has lost a significant amount of weight over recent years with him looking rather svelte at an event in London this week (left) compared to his days playing Mr Darcy in 1995's Pride and Prejudice (right)

However, none of his upcoming parts appear to require such drastic transformations. 

In Genius, he plays famous book editor Maxwell Perkins, and he is also reprising his role as Mark Darcy in the latest Bridget Jones instalment. Another project will see him play famous sailor Donald Crowhurst.

His declining weight has previously sparked speculation. In 2013, his wife of almost two decades, Livia Firth, tweeted: ‘Re Colin’s weight speculations, he has been asked to train 4 Matthew Vaughn movie!’ 

The film in question was Kingsman. She added that he was: ‘Feeling fit but can’t wait to expand again after Xmas!’

He also lost weight to star in The Railway Man. The film was based on the true story of British officer Eric Lomax, who was captured by the Japanese during the Second World War and forced to work on the Thai-Burma railway.

The King’s Speech star has previously spoken about how a character’s physical appearance is key to his acting method.

Firth displayed a slightly fuller figure when he collected his Oscar for best actor for his performance in The King's Speech in 2011
Firth looked a little trimmer in the face when he stepped out in Autumn 2013

Firth displayed a slightly fuller figure when he collected his Oscar for best actor for his performance in The King's Speech in 2011 (left) but looked a little trimmer in the face when he stepped out in September 2013

Firth's declining weight has previously sparked speculation. In 2013, his wife of almost two decades, Livia Firth (above), tweeted: ‘Re Colin’s weight speculations, he has been asked to train 4 Matthew Vaughn movie!’

Firth's declining weight has previously sparked speculation. In 2013, his wife of almost two decades, Livia Firth (above), tweeted: ‘Re Colin’s weight speculations, he has been asked to train 4 Matthew Vaughn movie!’

He said: ‘Some people spend days, weeks even, getting inside a character, getting under his skin, working out how he thinks, what makes him tick.

‘My secret is that I get outside the character. Take my character in [2009 film] A Single Man: it’s the big glasses that draw you in, make George’s anguish believable.’

Firth’s representatives declined to comment on their weight loss or the actor’s health. 

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